S.D. Revenue Commission Comes Up Short

SAN DIEGO  San Diego needs to bring in more revenue and the city council wants to create a commission that will suggest how to do that. But a disagreement Tuesday among city council members has put the commission on hold for now.

The revenue commission is supposed to have nine members, but two of the nominees failed to get enough votes. Nominees Vincent Mudd and Phil Blair have both volunteered for the Chamber of Commerce and were listed by the organization as lobbyists. The council had voted earlier not to appoint any lobbyist to the revenue commission. However, because Mudd and Blair didn’t personally register themselves with the city as lobbyists there was some question about whether the designation was accurate. But Councilwoman Marti Emerald says the situation is clear to her.

“If their name is on the list, I think that most people would assume they’re registered lobbyists. You know the old adage, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck,” she says.

Neither Mudd nor Blair was paid for his work with the Chamber. The council did approve the seven other nominees.

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Aired 10/28/09

San Diego needs to bring in more revenue and the city council wants to create a commission that will suggest how to do that. But a disagreement Tuesday between city council members has put the commission on hold for now.